RCMP release police sketch of assault suspect

Suspect sketch released Whistler RCMP is looking for a South Asian man in his 40s following two attempted sexual assaults in Whistler Village earlier in October.

The RCMP has released a police sketch of a suspect in a recent assault in Whistler Village, which took place just before 2 a.m. on the morning of Oct. 19 in Village Square. In that assault, a woman was grabbed by an intoxicated South Asian male, who attempted to pull her away with him.

The male in the sketch is described as possibly in his early 40s, wearing a dark leather jacket, slacks, green socks and patent leather loafers with a square toe.

Police said it appears that the incident was not related to an attempted sex assault that took place in the early hours the previous evening. In that incident a 20-year-old woman living in Whistler was pulled into a ditch near Village Gate and Whistler Way, where her attacker attempted to remove her pants. The woman fought back and escaped.

It's also unknown whether the male in the sketch is a suspect in an attempted assault that took place in February where a South Asian male approached a woman claiming to be a cab driver, and then led her to any alley and attempted to kiss and grope her. The incident was not reported until last week, likely as a result of the other reports.

If you have any information regarding any of these cases or the man in the police sketch, contact the Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Horse hit by a train, euthanized

Pemberton RCMP received a call just after 3 p.m. on Oct. 23 regarding two horses that had been hit by a train in Pemberton. The police attended and found one horse with injured hindquarters, and another horse with a broken leg that was lying on the field nearby.

They euthanized the horse with the broken leg, which they removed with the help of the farmer who's land the horses wandered onto. The owner of the horses is unknown.

Suspect sought in store thefts

Whistler RCMP is seeking the public's help in identifying a suspect who was attempting to get refunds on items he picked up in the store.

At 3:45 p.m. the RCMP received a call from a retail store regarding a man in his mid-40s with long, greying hair. He approached the counter at one establishment with an item worth $60 and received a refund after making a fuss although it soon became apparent that he picked the item up off a shelf.

The RCMP received a second report a little while later of a man with a similar description, wearing a green jacket and black pants, a backpack and carrying shopping bags, attempting the same fraud in another retail store. The store did not give the man any money.

The RCMP searched the village for the suspect but was unable to locate anyone matching his description. If you have any information contact the Whistler RCMP at 604-932-3044 or Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-TIPS (8477).

Impaired drivers an ongoing issue

The RCMP once again stopped a higher than normal number of impaired drivers over this past week, as members take advantage of the quiet season to increase their presence on local roads.

On Oct. 24, the RCMP stopped a 40-year-old Whistler male just after midnight on Highway 99, just south of the village. They detected an odor of liquor and the driver failed two breathalyzer tests.

Drivers that fail under provincial Immediate Roadside Prohibition (IRP) laws receive an immediate 90-day driving prohibition, a 30-day vehicle impound at their expense, and other conditions that add up to thousands of dollars.

On Oct. 27 a 28-year-old Pemberton male was stopped in Whistler and refused to provide a breath sample, which automatically triggers the full IRP penalties.

On Oct. 27 at 2:12 a.m. a 34-year-old Whistler female also failed her test; so did a 33-year-old Langley male at 2:54 a.m. on Oct. 28. As well, a 48-year-old Vernon male tested in the warn range, between 0.06 and 0.08 per cent blood alcohol content, and received a three-day driving prohibition.

Stolen vehicle located in Whistler

A vehicle that was stolen in Vancouver on Oct. 19 was recovered in Whistler at the 2100 block of Lake Placid Road on Oct. 27, and is believed to be connected with a rash of vehicle break-ins taking place in Whistler that night that culminated in the theft of a white Jeep that was later found in West Vancouver.

In both cases, the vehicles had damaged ignitions, and papers from the stolen jeep were located near the stolen vehicle. Police forensics teams have investigated that vehicle searching for prints and clues.

Two men walk away after truck rolls

Two telecommunication workers are thankful they were able to walk away from a dramatic crash in the afternoon of Tuesday, Oct. 30.

Their work truck went off a gravel road and rolled a number of times down an embankment. Whistler Fire Rescue Services attended the incident near the cell tower on the west shoulder of Whistler Mountain along with Whistler Search and Rescue (WSAR), the RCMP and the B.C. Ambulance Service.

Brad Sills of WSAR said one person in the vehicle suffered minor injuries.

According to Sills, it will be a challenge to retrieve the large truck. He said the truck is a 2012 Ford F-550 carrying a tool storage container.